Ask Rusty

Dear Rusty: I will be 62 in two years. I plan on signing up for SS at age 62, but I have heard there are details that are important when signing…

Dear Rusty: I am 67 and 9 months old, collecting a modest SS survivor benefit with plans to collect my own much larger benefit at age 70.  I was confident this plan…

Dear Rusty: I turn 65 this November 2026. Someone told me I need to set up a Social Security account at least 3 months ahead of time before applying for Medicare…

Dear Rusty: I am 79. My husband is also 79 and we both receive Social Security benefits. We were both married before, and we married each other at the age of…

Dear Rusty: I was born on January 1st, 1958, so I believe Social Security considers me to be 70 as of December 2027. I’m planning on filing when I turn 70…

Dear Rusty: My last Social Security payment decreased by about $400, so I went to my online SS account and found a November 2025 letter explaining that my 2024 tax return…

Dear Rusty: I just found out, as someone who was collecting widow’s benefits on my second husband (a very small amount) for some time, that I was, all along, entitled to…

Dear Rusty: My girlfriend is 65 and she just enrolled in Medicare. She is still working full time as a nurse, but they are still deducting Medicare taxes from her paycheck.…

Dear Rusty: I have been working somewhat consistently since commencing my Social Security benefit income. I’ve been collecting since my full benefit age of 66, approximately. I’m now 81, and customarily, in…

Dear Rusty: Can you help me understand? I have paid into Social Security since I started working in 1978. I did have a lot of tax deductions, but I don’t understand why…